


Little Black Dress

by Mouse9



Series: Cherries and Ginger [4]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2021-01-13 17:42:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21191966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mouse9/pseuds/Mouse9
Summary: Sherlock had a plan.  A  well thought out, meticulous plan of how tonight would turn out.And as always, Molly Hooper completely derailed him.





	Little Black Dress

Sherlock has seen Molly in black before. The embarrassment of the infamous Christmas party years ago still had a key place in his mind. Mostly serving as _a What not to do ever again_ scenario.

The “Case” he had asked for her assistance on was his way of planning a date. He had requested she dress in her nicest outfit _Nothing too garish. _He would, of course, pick her up at her flat and they would go to the intended destination.

The destination being a quiet out of the way romantic restaurant he had to pull a lot of strings to get into for that day. He would tell her, once there, he wanted more. The more than random texts and occasional meetups as well as extended visits to her flat were nice, more than nice, but he wanted more if she would have him.

He wanted long late-night conversations, about the latest medical advancements followed by breakfast and coffee laughing about Rosie’s latest achievements. He wanted to see her smile in ratty jammies in the warm colors of the sunrise. He wanted warm body heat comfortably pressed against him as he slowly woke.

He wanted quiet rainy afternoon at his flat, Molly on the couch reading as he laid on her lap going through emails on his mobile. He wanted shared experiments and shared experiences.

If she would only want that too, Sherlock thought he could be happy.

Letting himself into her flat with the key she’d given him, he called to her as he bent down to stroke Toby, who’d trotted in meowing at his voice. Every minute of this evening had been meticulously plotted out in his mind. Down to the smallest thing.

Footsteps sounded on the hardwood floor and as Molly stepped into view, Sherlock realized he always underestimated her. Every time.

She wore black. Not the tacky party dress of the Christmas party, rather a sophisticated sheath dress that fell across her form like silk.

Her hair was pulled back in a simple loose bun and her shoes, short heeled yet perfect.

“Hi. Sorry.” She was fastening a simple stud earring as she crossed the room. “I got a late start, hope this isn’t going to ruin the case. What?”

He was staring, his mind, for once, blank. It wasn’t a buffer; he was acutely aware of her. His mind was awash with clear vivid images of them together, snapshots of what could be flooding his mind in rapid succession, each portrait causing his chest to ache.

He wanted that. All of it. Everything rushing into his mind. Every snapshot.

The understanding didn’t come as a shock, rather it was like the last piece of a puzzle sliding into place. The same wave of calm that came from solving a case washed over him.

“Sherlock? You’re buffering. Sherlock?”

The world shifted and Molly stood before him, snapping her fingers. At his slow blink, she gave a relieved smile.

“There you are. I was worried you’d be like that for- “

It was instinct. The unconscious ease of his body reacting to a situation.

An arm slipped around her waist and he bent enough to capture her lips, cutting off her words.

The hint of hesitation from her was there and then her arms slipped over his shoulders and around his neck and it felt like home.

“Was it the dress? Mary said it would be the dress.” She said after they parted, Sherlock panting as if he’d run the mile. He huffed a silent chuckle at the beloved name.

“She took you shopping.” His arms were still clasped around her waist, not wanting to let go.

“When she was pregnant with Rosie.” Molly confessed. “She decided I needed one good black dress for any occasion and, well, it was impossible to tell her no.”

The soft linen was smooth under his touch. Of course Mary, with her deductive powers, almost as good as his, would have realized this day would come.

“The case was a ruse.”

“What?”

“The case,” The need for explanation was strong. The sense of wanting to start with no falsehoods between them. “It was a ruse. A red herring to get you alone to tell you how much I…that I…”

Her hands were distractingly soothing against his neck as she looked up at him silently watching his every word.

“Tell me now.” The plea was simple and he found himself helpless to comply.

“I love you.”

The words had not been uttered by him since the phone call. Shown by actions but never again spoken. Until now. He repeated them, the form pleasing in his mouth.

“I love you, Molly. I want to be with you and all it entails. I want late nights and early mornings. I want shared experiences and your laughter in my ears. I want dinners eaten over sinks and lingering breakfasts in bed. I want nights watching crap telly with you with your ridiculous cat on my lap.”

He lifted a hand and stroked away a tear with his thumb. 

“I want lazy afternoons at Baker Street with you and infinitely better Christmas parties and kissing you at midnight on New Year’s. With you, Molly. All of it with you. That’s what I was planning to tell you tonight. The full truth of my heart. It’s yours, it always has been.”

Tears were streaming down her cheeks, yet her smile was so bright it could have blinded him.

“I would like all of that too.” She moved closer to him, So impossibly closer. His hands slid to the swell of her hips.

“Everything you offer for however long you offer it.”

“Forever.” It didn’t scare him, the word, not like it once would have. “A life without Molly Hooper sounds inconceivable now.”

She nodded.

As their lips met once more, Sherlock sent a silent thank you to Mary who seemed to know his mind better than he. The future didn’t unnerve him. Not anymore.

Not with Molly beside him.


End file.
